Morality and Sports

Is it cheating if nobody is watching? Most people would answer yes to that question---but if given the chance, knowing they would not be caught would cut any corner in a heartbeat. This hypothetical question got very complicated this week when professional golfer J.P Hayes took sportsmanship to a whole new level.

To play on the PGA (Professional Golf Association) tour, many competitors must pass Qualifying school. In Q-school, golfers can earn eligibility to play full-time on the PGA tour for a year. This week, during the end of Q-school, Hayes committed a blunder that disqualified him from competition. According to the Chicago Tribune, this is what happened:

"On his 12th hole of the first round at Deerwood Country Club last Wednesday in McKinney, Texas, Hayes' caddie reached into his golf bag, pulled out a ball and flipped it to Hayes. He missed the green with his tee shot, chipped on and marked his ball. It was then he realized it wasn't the same one with which he had started his round. He called an official over and was penalized two shots. Later while relaxing in his hotel room, it occurred to Hayes that the wrong ball he had played in the first round might not have been on the USGA's approved list. That led to his disqualification."

Basically, Hayes made a small blunder, one that nobody alive would have noticed had Hayes not reported it. However, Hayes realized what he had done and knew the he should have been disqualified. Rather than letting the small mistake which likely had no impact on his final score disappear, Hayes turned himself in and effectively took himself out of his guaranteed spot in the tour for 2009.

Did Hayes do the right thing? Yes, he was very honest, brutally honest, and lived up to the expectations of sport. However, he cost himself a job during a time in which jobs are scarce in America. Yes, Hayes has earned over $7 million dollars in his career according to ESPN, but a job is a job. Did Hayes do his family a disservice by telling the truth? Does that matter?

I honestly don't know what I think about Hayes's decision. I think it is incredibly honorable that he played strictly by the rule book. However, he was safely in position to qualify for the tour and the mistake he made was really more of his caddy's fault and probably had no effect on his final score. Hopefully, the karma for Hayes will be good in the future and he will not suffer from his honesty. If only men like Hayes were running the economy right now...maybe there would be a little less corruption.